Back in Massachusetts after Congress struck an 11th-hour deal to end the federal government shutdown and raise the debt limit, U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III said he’s concerned that the recent legislative showdown has set a precedent for negotiating by means of “manufactured crises.”

Gerry Tuoti

Back in Massachusetts after Congress struck an 11th-hour deal to end the federal government shutdown and raise the debt limit, U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III said he’s concerned that the recent legislative showdown has set a precedent for negotiating by means of “manufactured crises.”

The controversy arose when Republican lawmakers used the threat of a shutdown as a negotiating tactic in their attempt to defund or delay Obamacare. Democrats refused to give into the GOP legislators’ concerns, and the federal government went into a partial shutdown for 16 days.

Wednesday, as the deadline to raise the national debt ceiling quickly approached, Senate and House leaders announced a temporary deal to ensure that the nation didn’t default on its obligations and that the federal government would fully reopen.

“I’m grateful we were able to reach a resolution and were able to avoid catastrophe by defaulting on the nation’s obligations,” Kennedy said.

Once a routine procedure, the debate over raising the debt ceiling so the government can borrow to pay its spending obligations has emerged over the past year or so as a contentious issue, as some lawmakers have used the threat of a national default as a tactic to force their political opponents into making concessions. Republicans have used the maneuver in an attempt to force Democrats into making spending cuts.

“That is not any way of governing the nation,” Kennedy said.
The shutdown, Kennedy said, negatively impacted the economy and shook investors’ confidence.

“The foundation of our economy is built, in large part, on confidence,” he said.

Casting doubt over whether the federal government will pay its obligations is an irresponsible tactic, Kennedy said.

He is hopeful a bipartisan committee will be able to create long-term solutions to prevent similar showdowns in the future.

“Washington as a whole has to find a way to move beyond manufactured crises,” he said.